JUST IN: Police Arrest PDP Senatorial Candidate Over Alleged Certificate Forgery

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested the former speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Bayelsa Central senatorial candidate, Hon Friday Konbowei Benson for alleged certificate forgery.

Benson, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government had during the PDP primaries defeated incumbent Senator, Moses Cleopas polling 110 votes to emerge as the party’s standard bearer against the latter who polled 22 votes.

Cleopas who had cried foul over modalities adopted for the primaries had dragged Benson before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa accusing him of allegedly submitting forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Investigations revealed that a special team of Police officers attached to the office of the Inspector-General of Police had on Wednesday stormed Yenagoa to arrest Benson.

He was said to have been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) where his statement was taken.

The State Commissioner of Police, Ben Okolo, who confirmed the presence of the IGP team in the State, however, said he was not aware of the reasons or the case it was investigating in the State.

Senator Cleopas in a telephone interview with the Leadership newspaper denied instigating the Police to arrest his opponent.